Rome: Leonardo made a dream debut as Inter Milan manager as fellow Brazilian Thiago Motta scored twice in a 3-1 win over Napoli on Thursday.
Leonardo replaced Rafa Benitez over the Italian league's holiday break and the victory was Inter's first in Serie A since November. Perhaps more importantly, Inter showed the same flare and goal-scoring ability it had last season en route to a historic treble.
"I don't want to talk too much just because we won one game but we beat a good team that was second in the standings," Leonardo said. "This squad is (in form). It didn't win by chance for the last five years. This squad has a soul and it had fun playing today."
Thiago Motta put Inter in front with a volley from the edge of the area three minutes in at the San Siro. After Michele Pazienza equalised for Napoli in the 25th, Esteban Cambiasso restored Inter's lead with a soaring header in the 37th and Thiago Motta added the third with a header in the 55th.
"The first goal was quite nice but the most important thing was getting this victory and the enthusiasm that we showed — which was lacking for a while," Thiago Motta said. "Leo has definitely brought enthusiasm."
Inter remained in seventh place, 13 points behind leader and city rival AC Milan, which edged Cagliari 1-0 earlier with an 85th-minute goal from Rodney Strasser.
However, Inter has two games to make up that it missed while winning the Club World Cup last month.
Comments
0 comment